Thing 45

The idea of the cloud seems reasonable if one wants to keep all their files in one easily assessable place. I've seen commercials where people are devastate to lose all the info stored in their computers and I think to myself, "Why not just store the files on a website?" That's what I do because I don't have my own computer although I don't store very much. If I had anything I worried about losing I would use a backup system (my son bought me my own flash drive so I can store all the grandkids' photos).
I still worry about computer security. Just doing these "Things" programs has put me on so many sites and my information is floating around out there in cyberspace. I have done a little banking on-line and some shopping but it makes me uneasy. I know my information is already on bank and merchant computers whether or not I use the computer because they put my info in their computers, but I still try to be careful. I use a computer every day at work and I have been learning about all these tools but I still do not trust it for my personal business. And I really don't want anyone knowing about every website I visit and reading every e-mail I send or receive.

Thing 44

This one was fun and discouraging all at the same time. The economy is in a mess and I see more trouble ahead. I did enjoy the money saving sites. I like feedthepig. Through this and other similar websites I have increased my gas mileage and am finding other small changes I can make in my daily life to save money. And I have used Craigslist a few times myself. My son uses it a lot and highly recommends it. We have sold a couple of cars and purchased some through the site. I don't use it much, though, because I don't need to buy anything. I have enough! I checked out the chicken raising sites, fun, but our town won't let us have chickens. The little almost-rural towns want to pretend to be big-city, while the big cities allow them. Go figure.
I also looked into the information sites and the on-line banking sites. I do not want to bank on-line but I can see the appeal of managing all one's accounts in one place. I also checked out the coupons (too much trouble and most of the coupons were for stuff I don't buy anyway) and the thrift shop locations. I will probably visit these sites again in the future, especially if something happens to my job and I need to trim the budget even more.

Thing 34

The future of libraries is definitely changing. I can see why people like to take their questions to the web instead of to the library. At the library it may take time to get books or other information. I help people on a daily basis navigate the web or locate books or movies but my help isn't always immediate. And it isn't anonymous. Sometimes people don't want to face someone and ask for information about personal or embarrassing topics. I don't share anything about my patrons. What happens at the library, stays at the library. Sometimes I feel a little voyeuristic because I know who is on a diet and who is expecting and who is having trouble with their teens and on and on and on. On the web, these patrons would not even have to face one person with their problems.

Working here at the library I meet people when they are vulnerable. Sometimes they come in really needing help. We have lots of patrons these days that are job searching or applying for unemployment. I've helped patrons do on-line banking and purchasing because a computers and websites are hard to navigate. It is very special that they trust me with some of their personal information and I only have a couple of years computer experience on them. I used the internet for the first time at the library where the librarian showed me how to go on-line and how to get an e-mail. Now I have five e-mails and have registered on so many sites I can't keep track of them all. Anyway, the library is a safe place for people to come for people who need help and don't know where else to find it. And as technology increases, there will always be those that lag behind. The library may adapt but it can always be a place to go for some personal help finding what is needed.
I also doubt that people will completely give up print media. Sales of fiction is currently rising. With all the choices for entertainment, people are still choosing to read and read old-fashioned books. They are my preference.

Things 40, 41, 42

I am trying out so many new things doing this program. I looked through the music sites on Thing 42 but I am not a music listener, a music lover, yes, but not a music listener. I only listen in the car and there I have a favorite AM oldies channel and I am not in the car for long periods of time on a regular basis. I am happy to listen to my cassettes over and over and over again without bothering to change them. I have a favorite Chopin tape. The piece containing "The Death March" is not somber but triumphant and I can listen to it again and again, unless, of course, I have passengers with me. Anyway, I read up on the music sites which I know are very popular with everyone but me and I'm glad to be more familiar with some of those sites, but I have neither the equipment nor the inclination to use them myself at this time.
The mashups have been fun. I signed up with Lifestream and added several of the sites I use. I just did that today so I don't yet know if I'll like it or use it. I'll give it a month. It sounds good on paper, or should I say computer?
I have been checking out mashups. I found some interesting ones and have been playing around a little. Some of them are cute but not worth checking again. The Lunchbox and the Wheel of Food were two I looked at. The Wheel of Food was fun to play with but that's about all and the Lunchbox only listed two places to eat in town. There are many more, but that's okay because I don't eat out anyway. I definitely want to learn and do more with mashups later when (if) I have more time but I really want to cover all these things. For now I will be happy to have some knowledge of many things and later, gain more specific skills.
I heard an interview with a professor of media relating to journalism. I don't remember her name, college, or the exact title of the class she taught, but she said than in her last class of 80 some students, only four of them used twitter and most had not even heard of delicious and she named a lot of other sites that I have been investigating through the "Things" and found her students were unaware of most of them. I know more than the average college student that has grown up on computers and I don't even own one. That amazes me.